Do I need to successfully schedule the Subject 3 test before I can start practicing driving?

[JaydenMarie]

You need to successfully schedule the Subject 3 test before you can start practicing driving. After building a foundation with Subject 2 driving practice, arranging your Subject 3 practice sessions only after successful scheduling can save you a lot of time. Additionally, practicing only after scheduling increases your sense of urgency, preventing you from feeling like you have plenty of time to practice at a leisurely pace. Here are the benefits of practicing after successfully scheduling the test: 1. Reduces frustration and increases urgency: During practice, students can easily become frustrated and tired due to prolonged sessions, which affects their performance. Therefore, instructors usually notify students to practice only after scheduling is confirmed. This approach also creates a sense of tension, helping students focus more during practice and pay closer attention to the instructor's guidance. 2. Improves proficiency and memory retention: After scheduling the test, instructors often have students practice daily or intensively over a short period. This concentrated practice helps students quickly develop a feel for driving. Moreover, students' memory and attention to detail are at their best during this time. 3. Shortens the time to obtain the license and reduces fuel consumption: Practicing for a few days, attempting to schedule the test, failing, and then waiting to practice again increases time costs for both students and instructors, prolongs the licensing process, and wears down patience. Thus, practicing only after successful scheduling is the most economical approach. Of course, practice consumes fuel, so driving schools often require successful scheduling before practice to minimize costs. Instructors arrange practice after scheduling to optimize efficiency. Typically, there is about a week or two between successful scheduling and the test—enough time to prepare. This approach helps instructors save costs and maximize benefits. Therefore, there’s no need to worry about practice timing or start too early. Excessive practice can lead to overconfidence, resulting in faster speeds, relaxed attention to detail, and a casual attitude—all of which are detrimental to the test. Concentrated practice in the three days before the exam is ideal. Prolonged preparation can lead to complacency, reducing the quality of practice over time. Hence, practicing only after successful scheduling is an instructor’s experienced decision, benefiting students and becoming a widely accepted norm.